Research paper
Effects of vitamin C and vitamin E on in vivo lipid peroxidation: results of a randomized controlled trial.
Study answer
What this study found
Vitamin C or vitamin E alone reduced in vivo lipid peroxidation to a similar extent, but combining the two vitamins did not add benefit beyond either vitamin alone. For urinary creatinine-adjusted 8-iso-PGF2alpha, mean change was 9.0 with placebo, -150.0 with vitamin C, -141.3 with vitamin E, and -112.5 with vitamins C + E; the interaction was not significant (P = 0.12). Neither vitamin affected urinary MDA + 4-hydroxyalkenals, but vitamin C significantly increased serum ORAC (P = 0.01). Serum ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol concentrations increased in the active vitamin groups.
- Study & population
- Randomized controlled trial of 184 community-dwelling nonsmoking adults recruited in the greater Baltimore, Maryland, area between February 1996 and June 1997.
- Intervention
- Participants were assigned to oral vitamin C 500 mg/day, oral vitamin E 400 IU/day (RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate), both vitamins together at the same daily doses, or matching placebos for 2 months.
- Key limitation
- Treatment duration was short at 2 months, and no adverse events were reported.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
BACKGROUND Lipid peroxidation may be important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, particularly in its earliest stages. Evidence predominantly from in vitro studies suggests that antioxidant vitamins can prevent lipid peroxidation and that vitami…